What We’re Reading: January 31, 2013

AHA Staff |Jan 31, 2013

In Today’s What We’re Reading, we feature one historian’s perspective on immigration reform, a growing business management trend inspired by Abraham Lincoln, and a series of podcasts you should be listening to.

Lincoln’s School of Management
Abraham Lincoln’s legacy continues, even in the business world, where inspiration from his presidency might be termed the “Lincoln school of management.” According to Howard Schultz, chief executive of Starbucks, “Lincoln’s presidency is a big, well-lit classroom for business leaders seeking to build successful, enduring organizations.”

Japan Government to Review Statements on History
In 1995, Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama apologized for “tremendous damage and suffering” caused by Japan’s “colonial rule and aggression.” The current government is now looking at revising this and other statements to “add forward-looking expressions.”

Listeners interested in a more creative (and much shorter) take on historical topics will find much to enjoy in two podcast series that are as performative as they are informative.

Nate Di Meo’s The Memory Palace features brief, evocative episodes that explore the shifting boundaries of historical memory. Check out “Dreamland,” about Luna Park, to getstarted.

Although99% Invisible is primarily about design, there is much to intrigue historians, particularly those interested in the built landscape. “Red Street Car,” about Los Angeles’s ill-fated streetcar system, and “Razzle Dazzle,” on the history of camouflage, are good introductions to producer Roman Mars’s thoughtful investigations into the forgotten corners of our past.

And last, but certainly not least, BackStory with American History Guys has a podcast (a rebroadcast) on the history of gun ownership in America, titled “Straight Shot: Guns in America.” This episode is particularly helpful in historicizing a hot topic, given that the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun control began Wednesday.